Royals Sign D-Man Shelgren and Goalie Niedert

Shelgren Was Claimed on Waivers Last Thursday and Niedert Backed Up for Reading on Sunday

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, today announced that the team has signed defenseman Brock Shelgren and goaltender Nick Niedert to ECHL contracts. In a separate transaction, the Royals also released defenseman Garrett Clarke from his ECHL contract with the team. These transactions were completed late in the afternoon on Sunday, October 21. The Royals claimed the ECHL rights to Shelgren (5’10/181) (24), a first year pro from Chicago, Illinois, when he was released last week by the Greenville Road Warriors. Shelgren registered four penalty minutes in his one game with the Road Warriors. Last year, Shelgren completed a four year career at Michigan State University, where he recorded thirteen points (3g-10a) and a Central Collegiate Hockey Association-leading 107 block shots in thirty-nine game with the Spartans. After the completion of his senior season, Shelgren joined the Alaska Aces, playing two ECHL regular season games without registering any points or penalty minutes. Shelgren picked up an assist in his lost post-season game with the Aces. In four years at MSU, Shelgren twice represented the school as the Spartans’ nomination for the CCHA All-Academic Team. In 138 collegiate games, he recorded twenty-nine points (8g-21a) and sixty-six penalty minutes. Niedert (5’8/185) (30), an eighth year pro from Hudson, Iowa, served as the Royals’ back-up goaltender in the 3-0 win over the Wheeling Nailers yesterday. Prior to that, he was most recently a member of the Elmira Jackals, for whom he played a spectacular pre-season game against the Royals on October 8, 2012, stopping 33 of 34 shots faced in the 3-1 win for the Jackals at the Sovereign Center. Niedert, who served as a back-up goaltender for the Royals on several occasions during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, is perhaps best remembered in Reading as the goaltender of record in Reading’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Wheeling Nailers on March 17, 2012, when Mikael Bedard bagged his hattrick goal in OT to not only win the game for Reading, but win $10,000 for a lucky fan in the Royals “St. Hattrick’s” Day game. Clarke, a first year pro from Windsor, Nova Scotia, did not appear in any games for the Royals. Next, the Royals head out on the road for a pair against the Wheeling Nailers at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, this Friday and Saturday. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1240 am and 98.5 fm with pre-game show beginning at 6:35 pm and the opening face-off dropping at 7:05 pm. Please note that Friday’s game will NOT be telecast on BCTV because of the station’s annual fund raising auction. Royals TV presented by Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations, however, will return to BCTV on Saturday night. The team returns home on Sunday (October 28 @ 5:05 pm), when the Toledo Walleye visit the Sovereign Center and the first 1000 kids fourteen and younger will receive a Jonathan Quick T-shirt courtesy of Metro Bank. There will also be a post-game ‘Bring Your Own Skates’ post-game skate with the players presented by the Body Zone Sports & Wellness Complex. Season Tickets for the 2012-13 Reading Royals ECHL season Presented by Steve Moyer Subaru are currently available. Call 610-898-7825 for more information or log onto www.royalshockey.com.